Nationality: Dutch

DOB/Age: 14 February 1999 (27)

Previous Clubs: Lazio (2019-2022), Cádiz CF (loan – 2020-2021), ADO Den Haag (loan – 2021), Crotone (loan – 2022), Go Ahead Eagles (2022-2025), Amedspor (2025), Manisa F.K. (2025-2026)

A dynamic left-footed player who can operate on the right wing or as a second striker, Bobby is an exciting addition to the Sailors with his explosiveness, direct running and knack for navigating tight spaces.

Bobby honed his craft at some of Europe’s most prestigious academies, having developed within the youth systems of Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona, and Liverpool. During his time with the Reds, he featured regularly at Under-18 and Under-23 level, representing the club in competitions such as the UEFA Youth League and Premier League 2.

He subsequently gained valuable senior experience across Europe, playing in Italy’s Serie A with Lazio and Spain’s LaLiga with Cádiz CF, while also featuring in the UEFA Europa League.

The Nigerian-born attacker, who represented the Netherlands up to Under-20 level, has also amassed close to 90 appearances in the Dutch Eredivisie, underlining his pedigree at the highest levels of European football.

Bobby arrived in Singapore in August 2026 after spending the past one-and-a-half seasons in Turkey, and has his sights set on helping the Sailors become one of the best clubs in Asia.

Nationality: French

DOB/Age: 30 May 2000 (26)

Previous Clubs: Nancy (2018-2023), Gazélec Ajaccio (loan – 2020), Rodez AF (2023-2024), Fortuna Düsseldorf (2024-2026), Red Star FC ((loan – 2025-2026)

A modern defensive midfielder with a brilliant passing range, astute reading of the game and the ability to go box-to-box, the 1.87m Giovanni is set to be the Sailors’ driving force in the engine room this season after signing a two-year contract with the club.

Giovanni arrives with considerable European experience, having amassed more than 100 appearances in France’s Ligue 2 across three clubs, while also featuring close to 30 times in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga.

Of his 116 Ligue 2 appearances, 53 came for boyhood club Nancy, where he made his professional debut in 2018. He also went on to represent Rodez AF and Red Star FC in the same division.

Giovanni moved to Germany to join Fortuna Düsseldorf in August 2024, scoring twice as the club finished sixth in the 2. Bundesliga. The former France Under-19 international then returned home to join Red Star on loan last season, featuring in 27 of a possible 31 league matches and helping the Parisian club finish fourth, just four points shy of automatic promotion to Ligue 1.

Nationality: Guadeloupean

DOB/Age: 8 January 2000 (26)

Previous Clubs: Guingamp (2017-2022), FC Bastia-Borgo (loan – 2020), Grenoble (2022-2023), CSKA Sofia (2023-2026), FC Zürich (loan – 2025-2026)

A left winger with a reputation for explosive pace, direct attacking play, and clinical finishing, Matthias will add another dimension to the Sailors’ frontline after signing a three-year contract with the club in the off-season.

Notably, Matthias turned down an offer from Turkish side Bursaspor in favour of joining the Sailors, underlining his belief in the club’s vision and ambitions.

Matthias spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Swiss Super League side FC Zürich from Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, where he impressed with eight goals in 27 appearances. Prior to that, he established himself in France, making close to 90 appearances in Ligue 2, while also featuring four times in Ligue 1 for Guingamp.

On the international stage, Matthias has earned 34 caps and scored 12 goals for Guadeloupe, representing and scoring for the Caribbean nation at three editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Earlier in his career, he also represented France at Under-17 level, highlighting the pedigree that has shaped his development.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 8 November 2002 (24)

Previous Clubs: Young Lions (2019-2022), Albirex Niigata (S) (2022), KMSK Deinze (2023-2024), BG Pathum United (2024-2026), Buriram United (loan – 2025-2026)

One of Singapore’s brightest footballing talents, Ilhan returned home to sign for the Sailors in the off-season after valuable spells in Belgium and Thailand.

He signed for Belgian second-tier side KMSK Deinze in December 2022, before joining BG Pathum United in July 2024. His impressive performances saw him named Young Player of the Tournament in the 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, before he spent last season on loan with Buriram United.

The move marks a homecoming for the third son of Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad, as Ilhan returns to the league where he first announced himself. He was named Singapore Premier League (SPL) Young Player of the Year in 2022 after scoring 17 goals to finish as the league’s top local scorer and help Albirex Niigata (S) lift the league title, earning his move overseas soon after.

He as also underlined his growing stature on the international stage. In Singapore’s decisive AFC Asian Cup qualifier away to Hong Kong in November 2025, he came off the bench with the Lions trailing 1-0 to set up Shawal Anuar’s equaliser, before unleashing a stunning long-range winner to seal a famous comeback and send Singapore to the Asian Cup on merit for the first time.

Known for his intelligent movement, technical quality, and ability to combine with those around him, Ilhan offers far more than goals alone. Comfortable operating across the frontline, he links play effectively, creates chances for teammates, and possesses the composure to make a difference in decisive moments.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 10 November 2002 (24)

Previous Clubs: Hougang United (2019-2022, 2024-2026), Young Lions (2023-2024)

A dynamic winger with explosiveness, creativity and the willingness to take on defenders, Farhan joined the Sailors in the off-season after several impressive years with Hougang United where he established himself as one of the league’s most dangerous wide players.

Farhan’s immense potential was evident from a young age. He found the net just 12 minutes into his SPL debut against Home United in June 2019, becoming the league’s second-youngest goalscorer at the time at 16 years and 231 days.

Since then, the 23-year-old has gone on to make more than 100 appearances across seven SPL seasons, winning the 2022 Singapore Cup with the Cheetahs. His performances in the recent 2025/26 campaign also earned him a nomination for the SPL Young Player of the Year award.

Farhan’s move to the Sailors marks an exciting new chapter in his career as he joins a side competing at the highest level domestically while harbouring lofty ambitions on the continental stage.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 25 April 1996 (30)

Previous Clubs: JEF United Chiba (2015-2017), YSCC Yokohama (loan – 2015 & 2017, 2018), FC Ryukyu (2016), Albirex Niigata (S) (2019), Tampines Rovers (2020-2025), Bangkok United (2025-2026)

A classy midfield operator with a sweet left foot, Kyoga joined the Sailors in January 2026 from Thai League 1 side Bangkok United and helped the team retain both domestic trophies in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) and the Singapore Cup.

The move to the Sailors marked a return to Singapore football for Kyoga, where he established himself after beginning his professional career in Japan’s J3 League. He spent the previous six seasons in the SPL, making his debut in 2019 with Albirex Niigata (S), before clocking up the majority of his domestic league appearances with Tampines Rovers over the next five years.

Kyoga then left for Bangkok United in June 2025, where he made 17 appearances in all competitions before joining the Sailors.

Over the years, Kyoga has endeared himself to the local football fraternity with his relentless work rate, warm personality and deep affinity with Singapore, which is underlined by his desire to represent the national team. The Chiba native – who played for Japan at the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup – was granted Singapore citizenship in October 2024, and has since become a Lions regular, playing an influential role in the nation’s historic qualification for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup on merit.

Named in the SPL Team of the Year for four seasons (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023), Kyoga is the heartbeat of the Sailors’ midfield with his creativity, vision and composure.

Nationality: German

DOB/Age: 25 February 1992 (34)

Previous Clubs: Werder Bremen (2010-2012, 2016-2018), FC St. Pauli (2012-2016, loan – 2017), VVV-Venlo (loan – 2017-2018), BB Erzurumspor (2018), PEC Zwolle (2019-2020, 2022-2024), Sparta Rotterdam (2020-2022)

Known for his astute positioning and relentless pressing, Lennart has been a prolific success since arriving at the Sailors in May 2024. His record of 56 goals over the past two seasons meant he is already the club’s second-highest scorer of all-time and he will look to deliver even more in the 2026/27 season.

The German possesses genuine European pedigree, with over 200 appearances in Dutch football, including 173 in the top-tier Eredivisie.

His goal-scoring prowess was already evident through his tally of 54 goals across three different clubs – PEC Zwolle, VVV-Venlo, and Sparta Rotterdam – from 2017 to 2024. Lennart, who has also represented Germany at the Under-20 level, previously played in the top two German divisions before making the move to the Netherlands in 2017.

His most storied and unique achievements was winning the 2018 FIFA Fair Play Award. He received the accolade after making a blood donation to facilitate a stem cell transplant for a leukaemia patient, missing a game for VVV-Venlo against PSV Eindhoven in the process. The selfless act garnered widespread praise, and prompted a surge in donors stepping forward to contribute in the Netherlands.

Nationality: Dutch

DOB/Age: 29 June 1996 (30)

Previous Clubs: FC Utrecht (2014-2016, 2019-2023), PSV Eindhoven (2016-2019)

Having shone with a series of scintillating displays in the past two seasons, fans will be delighted to learn that Bart has extended his contract with the Sailors till 2028.

A versatile attacking midfielder who has the ability to play on either flank, or centrally in between the lines, he first played a crucial part in a historic 2024/25 season – scoring crucial goals in the AFC Champions League Two semi-final against Sydney FC and the Singapore Cup final against BG Tampines Rovers.

Then in 2025/26, he carried in the same vein with his tally of eight goals and 11 assists across 20 league appearances earning him a deserved nomination for the SPL Player of the Year.

Prior to arriving in Singapore, Bart honed his craft in the Dutch Eredivisie for around a decade. He rose to prominence at PSV, winning the 2017/18 Eredivisie title and featuring in the UEFA Champions League with the Dutch giants. Then he had two spells with Utrecht where he accumulated 130 domestic league appearances, before making the move to Singapore in February 2024.

Bart has also been capped thrice at international level with Holland – this includes a start in their 3-1 World Cup qualifying win over Luxembourg in November 2016, where he played alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Wesley Sneijder, Georginio Wijnaldum and Arjen Robben.

Nationality: Australian

DOB/Age: 28 July 1992 (33)

Previous Clubs: Preston North End (2010-2017), Bristol City (2017-2020), Sunderland (2020 – loan, 2020-2023), Rotherham United (2023 – loan)

An old-school robust centre-back who wears on his heart on his sleeve, Bailey is undoubtedly one of the leading figures of the team and is a perfect role model for the younger players in the squad.

Bailey joined the Sailors in the 2023 SPL mid-season transfer window after departing Sunderland, where he was a cult hero of the Black Cats’ faithful during his three-and-a-half years on Wearside. Those years saw Sunderland enjoy much success, winning their first trophy since 1973 as they lifted the 2020/21 Papa John’s Trophy (EFL) at Wembley, before earning promotion into the English second-tier – the Sky Bet Championship – in 2022.

He has been a sterling success since arriving in Singapore, being named in the SPL Team of the Year for the past two seasons with his rock-solid defensive displays and consistent goal threat.

Bailey also has 29 caps for the Australia national team – he was part of the Socceroos’ 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar that saw them qualify from a group that featured France, Denmark and Tunisia, before falling to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the eventual tournament winners, in the Round of 16.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 29 April 1991 (35)

Previous Clubs: Geylang International (2014-2019), Hougang United (2020-2022)

A rare talent who was nurtured in and plucked from Singapore’s amateur leagues, Shawal’s rise has been well documented in recent years and the proverbial late bloomer is not ready to stop just yet.

A nippy forward with an uncanny eye for goal, he has contributed much to the Sailors’ rise since joining in 2023 – on the back of a brilliant 2022 season where he inspired Hougang United to win their first-ever trophy in the Singapore Cup.

He enjoyed a remarkable 2024/25 campaign with the club, scoring a career-high 27 goals – including eight strikes in the AFC Champions League Two which meant he finished the tournament’s second-highest goalscorer. No local players have scored more in the SPL in the past two seasons, and Shawal is ready to plunder more in 2026/27.